CUSMA left unrenewed, prolonging uncertainty

Tisch went further, warning that the drawn-out review process carries its own economic cost. “Annual uncertainty is a tax on North American competitiveness,” he said, noting that unclear rules cause businesses and investors on both sides of the border to pull back on hiring and capital spending.

Ottawa, meanwhile, struck a firmer tone. Minister LeBlanc said following the trilateral review meeting that he had reaffirmed “Canada’s unwavering support for the CUSMA and its renewal,” stressing that the deal underpins millions of jobs and gives Canadian employers secure, predictable access to their two largest trading partners. Global Affairs Canada noted that Canada-U.S. trade alone moves roughly $3.5 billion in goods and services across the border daily, underscoring how directly the outcome of these talks could touch Canadian payrolls and staffing plans.

Earlier, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) joined nearly 160 North American agricultural organizations in calling for the renewal and strengthening of CUSMA.

“A predictable, rules-based CUSMA/USMCA is a strategic asset for North American food security, and new uncertainty would inject risk into supply chains across rural America,” said Michael Harvey, executive director of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, in a statement emailed to HRD.

Canada is one of the United States’ top two agricultural export markets, buying more American agricultural goods than Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom combined. The North American agri-food supply chain supports nearly 493,000 American jobs and $36 billion in wages, while helping sustain the broader $3.5 billion in goods and services traded across the Canada-U.S. border each day, the group noted.